U.S. patent application number 09/962695 was filed with the patent office on 2002-09-19 for pipe connection.
Invention is credited to Binoder, Harald.
Application Number | 20020130514 09/962695 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 7657628 |
Filed Date | 2002-09-19 |
United States Patent
Application |
20020130514 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Binoder, Harald |
September 19, 2002 |
Pipe connection
Abstract
Pipe connection of two pipe ends (3, 4) pushed into a sleeve (1)
with a spherical shape (9, 10, 21, 22) between the inside case of
the sleeve (1) and the outside case of at least one pipe end (3,
4).
Inventors: |
Binoder, Harald; (Markt
Erlbach, DE) |
Correspondence
Address: |
LERNER AND GREENBERG, P.A.
PATENT ATTORNEYS AND ATTORNEYS AT LAW
Post Office Box 2480
Hollywood
FL
33020-2480
US
|
Family ID: |
7657628 |
Appl. No.: |
09/962695 |
Filed: |
September 24, 2001 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
285/80 |
Current CPC
Class: |
F16L 27/04 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
285/80 |
International
Class: |
F16L 035/00 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Sep 22, 2000 |
DE |
100 47 577.9 |
Claims
1. Pipe connection of two pipe ends (3, 4) pushed into a sleeve
(1), characterized by a spherical shape (9, 10, 21, 22) between the
inside case of the sleeve (1) and the outer case of at least one
pipe end (3, 4).
2. Pipe connection according to claim 1, characterized by a
spherical shape (9, 10) at the circumference of the outer case of
at least one pipe end (3, 4).
3. Pipe connection according to claim 1, characterized by a
spherical indentation (21, 22) in the case of the sleeve (1).
4. Pipe connection according to claim 1, characterized by a
spherical ring (17, 18, 19, 20) as a shape (9, 10) slipped onto the
pipe end (3, 4).
5. Pipe connection according to claim 2, characterized in that the
spherical shape (9, 10) is molded into the pipe casing.
6. Pipe connection according to claim 5, characterized by a
spherical shape (9, 10) calibrated into the pipe casing.
7. Pipe connection according to one of the previous claims,
characterized by a spherical shape (9, 10) in the outer case of
both pipe ends (3, 4).
8. Pipe connection according to one of the previous claims,
characterized by a spherical, preferably concave acceptance area
(12, 13), which is molded into the inside case of the sleeve (1),
for accepting the spherical shape (9, 10) of the respectively
allocated pipe end (3, 4).
9. Pipe connection according to one of the previous claims,
characterized by respectively one pipe clip (5, 6) fastening a pipe
end (3, 4) in the sleeve (1).
10. Pipe connection according to claim 9, characterized in that the
pipe clips (5, 6) are congruently arranged with respect to the
spherical shape (9, 10) in the final state of installation.
11. Pipe connection according to one of the previous claims,
characterized by one or more marking warts (16) and/or marking
notches at the outer case of the pipe ends (3, 4).
12. Pipe connection according to one of the claims, characterized
by a spherical shape (9, 10) in the outer case of the one pipe end
(3) and a spherical indentation (21, 22) in the case of the sleeve
(1) in the area of the other pipe end (4).
Description
DESCRIPTION
[0001] The present invention is directed to a pipe connection
having the features of the preamble of claim 1. Given detachable
pipe connections, particularly in the field of the exhaust
technology, errors regarding the position, direction or alignment
of the pipe ends have a disadvantageous effect. Such errors
particularly lead to deviations of position. Given tail pipes of
exhaust arrangements, for example, these deviations of position are
especially undesired when the tail pipe of the exhaust arrangement
is visibly arranged in a cutout of the back vehicle skirt. The tail
pipe or, respectively, the escape opening of the tail pipe then
does not lie concentrically in the corresponding cutout of the
vehicle skirt, so that the vehicle design is optically impaired,
since the observer receives the impression of an incorrectly
installed exhaust arrangement. Moreover, tail pipes that do not lie
concentrically in the cutout of the vehicle skirt can cause a
striking noise or suchlike as a result of vibrations.
[0002] Proceeding from these disadvantages, an object of the
invention is to fashion a pipe connection such that it is possible,
in terms of a correct position, to install the individual pipes
forming the exhaust train despite the unavoidable component
tolerance. This object is inventively achieved by the feature
combination of claim 1. The dependent claims partially relate to
expedient embodiments of the invention and partially relate to
embodiments that are inventive by themselves.
[0003] According to the invention, the pipe ends to be connected to
one another are pushed into a sleeve. A spherical shape is provided
between the outer case of at least one of the two pipe ends. A
sub-area of this spherical shape either is adjacent to the outer
case of the pipe end or to the inside case of the sleeve. Due to
the spherical fashioning of the shape, namely slightly crowned
fashioning of the shape, the pipe end provided with the shape or,
respectively, the pipe end borne in the region of the shape in the
sleeve can be pivoted vis-a-vis the sleeve in the manner of a
ball-and-socket joint in a narrow region without the pipe end
having to be warped or deformed. It is thus possible to simply
compensate a directional error or, respectively, angle error
between the pipe ends with respect to the connecting sleeve, since
the spherical shape is partially adjacent to the outer case of the
pipe end or, respectively, to the inside case of the sleeve across
the entire pivot area of the pipe end prescribed by the spherical
shape, so that a flush positioning of the outer case of the pipe
end is assured at the inside case of the sleeve.
[0004] Claim 2 refers to the case of a spherical shape in the area
of the outer case of a pipe end. This shape is adjacent to the
inside case of the sleeve. The spherical shape operates in the
manner of a ball-and-socket joint, so that the pipe end, vis-a-vis
the sleeve, can be pivoted in a narrow region without the pipe end
having to be twisted or deformed. It is thus possible to simply
compensate angle errors and directional errors between the pipe
ends with respect to the connecting sleeve.
[0005] Claim 3 represents the cinematic reversal of claim 2. The
pipe ends are the same there as in the prior art, whereas spherical
indentations are molded into the sleeve. These spherical
indentations protrude in the direction of the outer case of the
pipe ends. In the final state of the installation, the pipe end
therefore is adjacent with its outer case to the spherical
indentation of the sleeve. The spherical indentation, in turn, acts
in the manner of a ball-and-socket joint, so that the pipe end,
vis-a-vis the inside case of the sleeve, can be pivoted in a narrow
region without the pipe end having to be warped or deformed. It is
thus possible to simply compensate angle errors and directional
errors between the pipe ends with respect to the connecting
sleeve.
[0006] According to claim 4, the shape is fashioned as a spherical
ring that is slipped onto the pipe end. An extremely high surface
quality of the shape can be realized with the assistance of such a
sturdy profile ring. In particular, this ring can be extremely
exactly rotated round and can be optimized with respect to the
surface roughness of the material. Furthermore, an arbitrary
material for the ring can replace the normally used sheet material
for the pipes. If expensive stainless steel pipes are used, the
ring can be produced from another, possibly less expensive
material. According to claim 3, it is also possible to fashion the
spherical ring as a spring ring. A spring ring does not only have a
high surface quality of a solid profile ring but is also
particularly suitable for compensating the directional errors or,
respectively, angle errors as a result of its spring
properties.
[0007] Claims 5 and 6 are directed to a further embodiment of the
invention, namely to a spherical shape that is produced with the
assistance of a reshaping method. The pipe casing is directly
reshaped, is calibrated according to the teaching of claim 5. The
advantage of calibration is that pipe ends of exhaust arrangements
often go through a calibration process prior to the installation,
so that the spherical shape can be co-calibrated here without a
further production step being necessary.
[0008] The installation of the pipe ends is further facilitated by
arranging a spherical shape at both pipe ends according to claim 7.
The pipe ends can be optimally placed vis-a-vis the sleeve. It is
also possible to compensate a greater angle error interval in this
way.
[0009] The spheriodizing [or: molding] of an additional concave
acceptance area into the inside case of the sleeve, as proposed in
claim 8, for accepting the respectively allocated spherical shape
in the pipe end makes it possible to connect the sleeve and pipe
end in a form-fitting manner. In this case, the acceptance area in
the sleeve adapted to the spherical recess acts as a positioning
aid in axial direction and as a measure for improving the
gastightness of the connection.
[0010] On the basis of the pipe clip proposed in claim 9, the
sleeve and the pipe end can be connected such that the leak rate of
a so manufactured exhaust arrangement is as low as possible. This
embodiment systematically is further developed in claim 10
according to which the pipe clip is congruently arranged with
respect to the spherical recess in the final state of installation
in order to further increase the efficiency of the pipe clip.
[0011] The production of the connection is facilitated in that
marking warts or marking indents are attached as suggested in claim
11. The marking warts attached to the pipe ends, as it were, serve
as a limit stop for the opening edge of the sleeve or,
respectively, the marking indents serve as an optical installation
aid. During the installation process, it thus can be promptly seen
from outside when the pipe end is completely pushed into the sleeve
and the pipe end has reached its intended final state of
installation vis-a-vis the sleeve.
[0012] Claim 12 represents a mixture of the invention with a
spherical recess in the sleeve for pivotably bearing and connecting
a traditional hollow cylindrical pipe end on the one side of the
pipe connection and with a pipe end having a spherical recess on
the other side of the pipe connection without a recess in the
sleeve. Certainly, each side of this connection can be further
developed according to one of the other claims. Therefore, all
conceivable mixtures of the different embodiments are possible
without further ado.
[0013] The invention is explained in greater detail on the basis of
the exemplary embodiments shown in the drawings.
[0014] FIG. 1 shows a side view of the inventive pipe
connection,
[0015] FIG. 2 shows a cross-sectional view of the pipe connection
shown in FIG. 1,
[0016] FIG. 3 shows a representation according to FIG. 2 with pipe
ends having a clearly recognizable angle offset against one
another;
[0017] FIG. 4 shows a cross-sectional side view of an alternative
embodiment of the pipe connection with concave acceptance areas in
the area of the inside case of the sleeve;
[0018] FIG. 5 shows a cross-sectional side view of a pipe
connection of a bifurcated pipe with two parallel pipe ends;
[0019] FIG. 6 shows a cross-sectional view of the pipe connection
shown in FIG. 1 with profile rings as a spherical shape;
[0020] FIG. 7 shows a side view according to FIG. 5 with spring
rings as a spherical shape;
[0021] FIG. 8 shows a cross-sectional side view of an embodiment
with spherical indentations in the sleeve, and
[0022] FIG. 9 shows a side view according to FIG. 8 with additional
concave spherical shapes in the pipe ends.
[0023] FIG. 1 shows two pipe ends 3, 5 protruding from a sleeve 1
in longitudinal direction. A pipe clip 5, 6, which can be
prestressed by a straining screw 7, 8, secures the pipe ends 3, 4
regarding their position in the sleeve 1.
[0024] FIG. 2 shows the spherical shapes 9, 10 molded into the pipe
ends 3, 4 in the exemplary embodiment, whereby said spherical
shapes 9, 10 are convexly fashioned in the exemplary embodiment.
The spherical shapes 9, 10 extend around the entire circumference
of the pipe ends 3, 4. FIG. 2 shows the fact that the pipe ends 3,
4, only with their spherical shapes, are adjacent to the inside
case of the cylindrical sleeve 1.
[0025] Therefore, the invention makes it possible to keep the
originally used sleeve 1 and the originally used pipe clips 5, 6.
This is particularly advantageous with respect to the automobile
manufacture wherein the pipe clips 5, 6, regarding their size, are
constructively adapted to the underbody of the vehicle, so that it
is possible to promptly use the inventive pipe connection without
further constructive changes.
[0026] While the representation of FIG. 2 shows the ideal case of
two pipe ends 3, 4 in alignment with one another concerning their
central longitudinal axis 11 of the pipe, FIG. 3 shows an
arrangement of a pipe connection having the same construction,
however, said arrangement has pipe ends 3,, 4 that respectively
have an angle error against one another. FIG. 3 shows the fact that
the central longitudinal axis 11 of the pipe of the pipe end 4
(shown left in the drawing) does not extend parallel to the
longitudinal direction 2. The central longitudinal axis 11 of the
pipe of the pipe end 3 (shown right in the drawing) does not extend
parallel to the longitudinal direction 2 either. Furthermore, the
central longitudinal axes 11 of both pipe ends 3, 4 are not
parallel either but exhibit an angle error against one another,
whereby said angle error corresponds to the angle .alpha.. The pipe
ends 3, 4 do not have to be shaped in order to be placed into the
sleeve 1. Rather, the representation of FIG. 3 shows that the pipe
ends 3, 4, vis-a-vis the longitudinal direction 2, are tiltably
placed into the sleeve 1. Despite the angle error corresponding to
the angle .alpha., a flush positioning of the pipe ends 3, 4, with
their spherical shapes 9, 10, is assured at the inside case of the
sleeve 1 and said pipe ends are also fixed at the sleeve with the
assistance of the pipe clips 5, 6, without being warped or deformed
vis-a-vis the sleeve 1.
[0027] FIG. 4 shows an exemplary embodiment of the pipe connection
with a further reduced leak rate of the construction. In this
embodiment, the sleeve 1 has two concave acceptance areas 12, 13,
which are adapted to the convex, spherical shapes 9, 10 in the pipe
ends 3, 4, so that the spherical shape 9, in the final state of the
installation, lies in the concave acceptance area 13 or,
respectively, that the spherical shape 10 lies in the concave
acceptance area 12. Finally, the pipe clips 5, 6 are also provided
with corresponding spherical bends [or: flections] 14, 15.
[0028] In FIGS. 2 and 3, marking warts 16 are also attached to the
pipe ends 3, 4. In FIG. 2, these marking warts 16 act as a limit
stop with respect to the edges of the sleeve 1. In FIG. 3, the
marking warts only represent optical position aids which can also
be fashioned as marking notches or suchlike.
[0029] FIG. 5 shows another embodiment of the pipe connection for
connecting a bifurcated pipe to two parallel pipe ends. The left
half of FIG. 5 shows the two pipe ends 4 of a bifurcated pipe (not
shown in greater detail). These pipe ends have the bifurcated pipe
axis distance a with respect to their central longitudinal axes 11
of the pipe. Analogous to the exemplary embodiment in FIG. 2, the
bifurcated pipe ends 4 are respectively pushed into a sleeve 1 and
are respectively fixed by a pipe clip 6. The right half of FIG. 2
shows the pipe ends 3 of the two pipes to be connected to the
bifurcated pipe ends 4. These pipes can also be a double-flow pipe
unit but can also be individual pipes. The pipe ends 3 have the
axis distance b with respect to their central longitudinal axes 11.
In the exemplary embodiment shown in FIG. 5, the axis distance a of
the bifurcated pipe is less than the axis distance b, of the pipe
ends 3 to be connected to the bifurcated pipe. [sic] The different
axis distances a and b, in turn, can be compensated via the
spherical shapes 9, 10 at the pipe ends 3, 4. On the basis of the
invention, it is also possible to compensate the angle offset of
pipe ends and an offset with respect to the axis distance of pipe
ends vis-a-vis bifurcated pipes. Longitudinal tolerances in axial
direction can also be compensated by different installation
positions.
[0030] FIG. 6 basically shows the same arrangement as FIG. 2, so
that identical parts have identical reference numbers. In contrast
to the exemplary embodiment shown in FIG. 2, spherical shapes are
not molded into the pipe ends. Rather, the spherical shapes are
formed by spherical profile rings 17, 18 which are slipped onto the
pipe ends 3, 4. In the exemplary embodiment, the spherical profile
rings 17, 18 carry spherical shapes convexly projecting out to the
outside in the direction of the sleeve 1. The functioning is the
same as the one of the shapes 9, 10 molded into the pipe ends given
the exemplary embodiment of FIG. 2.
[0031] Analogous to FIG. 5, FIG. 7 shows the connection of a
bifurcated pipe with its bifurcated pipe ends 4 with pipe ends 3,
whereby the bifurcated pipe distance a, in turn, is less than the
axis distance b of the pipe ends 3. Spherical rings, in turn, are
slipped onto the pipe ends 3. Contrary to the exemplary embodiment
of FIG. 6, these are not spherical rings composed of solid
material, therefore are not profile rings 17, 18 but are spherical
spring rings 19, 20 borne on the pipe ends 4 with their spring
power. These spring rings 19, 20 have the advantage to help
compensate angle errors and positional errors as a result of their
spring property.
[0032] FIGS. 8 and 9 show another embodiment of the invention
wherein the sleeve 1 is provided with concave, spherical
indentations 21, 22. In the exemplary embodiment shown in FIG. 8,
the pipe ends 3, 4 and the pipe clips 5, 6 are cylindrically
fashioned. The spherical shapes are inserted into the sleeve 1, so
that a flush positioning of the pipe ends 3, 4, in this exemplary
embodiment, is given only in the area of the spherical indentations
21, 22 with respect to the sleeve 1. On the basis of this exemplary
embodiment, it is possible to keep the pipe clips 5, 6 as well as
the conventional pipes and to compensate alignment, angle or
positional errors with the assistance of the spherical indentations
21, 22.
[0033] FIG. 9 shows a further development of the exemplary
embodiment of FIG. 8. Not only the sleeve 1 has spherical
indentations 21, 22 but a spherical shape 9, 10 is molded into the
inside case of each pipe end 3, 4, whereby said spherical shape,
analogous to the concave spherical indentation 21, 22, is concavely
fashioned in the exemplary embodiment of FIG. 9.
[0034] To be complete, it should be mentioned that mixtures are
also possible, so that the exemplary embodiments shown in FIGS. 1
to 9 can be arbitrarily combined. This has the advantage
that--where it is desired--the pipe ends 3, 4 of conventional pipes
can be kept, whereas pipe ends 3, 4 having convex (FIG. 2) or
concave (FIG. 9) spherical indentations 9, 10 can be inserted at a
different location.
1 Reference character list sleeve longitudinal direction pipe end
pipe end pipe clip pipe clip straining screw straining screw
spherical shape spherical shape central longitudinal axis of the
pipe concave acceptance area concave acceptance area spherical bend
spherical bend marking wart/marking notch spherical profile ring
spherical profile ring spherical spring ring spherical spring ring
spherical indentation spherical indentation .alpha. angle a axis
distance of the bifurcated pipe b axis distance
* * * * *